Australia's Cup campaign rocked by 10-run defeat to South Africa as injuries mount
Set 326 to win, Australia lost early wickets and Usman Khawaja retired hurt. A David Warner century and a stunning knock from Alex Carey gave hope but once they went all was lost. So England now await in the semi-finals.
The Ashes will receive the ultimate precursor with South Africa kicking Australia out of Manchester and on a collision course with England for a blockbuster World Cup semi-final on Thursday.
It will be a battered and bruised Australia that packs its bags for the two-hour drive to Birmingham on Sunday, left wounded by a combination of injuries and glaring form issues after a 10-run loss at Old Trafford.
While David Warner (122 off 117) and Alex Carey (85 off 69) did their best to paper over the cracks in the sandpaper reunion, a sloppy performance from several Aussies cost them the easy road to Sunday’s final at Lord’s.
Warner should’ve been run-out by Kagiso Rabada for none, but the throw went to the wrong end and he then ran South Africa ragged.
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The left-hander played some masterful strokes that were eventually matched by Carey, the World Cup’s shining light that is suddenly blindingly bright.
But after being set 326 for victory, after a commanding century by captain Faf du Plessis, Carey backed away and sliced one too many as he holed out with 51 runs still required off just 28 balls.
Australia then threw everything at the chase, including an injured Usman Khawaja, as the No.3 returned despite retiring with a hamstring injury, for which he will have scans on Sunday, on six runs.
Mitchell Starc and Khawaja drained 17 runs from the 48th over before Khawaja deflected a Rabada delivery onto his stumps to drain Australia’s hopes of staying in Manchester.
Khawaja hobbled OK between the wicket before that dismissal, but it was a chase that was already out of hand as South Africa, finally, finished a World Cup on a high note.
The equation entering the final group game was simple for the Aussies – defeat the disappointing Proteas to claim first place on the ladder and play at the same ground against the struggling Kiwis in Tuesday’s semi-final.
But as India overtook Australia in first place on the ladder, cruising to a seven-wicket win against Sri Lanka, Steve Smith was given out lbw by Dwaine Pretorius after making just seven runs.
That left Australia 2/33, although effectively 3/33 given Khawaja’s injury. The medical drama didn’t end there.
Marcus Stoinis, still battling a side strain he picked up on June 9, has bowled just five overs in the past two games while Mitchell Starc (knee) appeared ginger despite claiming 2/59.
The only Aussies busier than Warner and Carey were Cricket Australia head doctor Richard Saw and physiotherapist David Beakley.
The setbacks followed Shaun Marsh (broken arm) and Glenn Maxwell getting sent to hospital for X-rays on Thursday after a fiery training session that also saw Smith and Jason Behrendorff treated for minor finger injuries.
If Australia’s World Cup dream is ended by England at Edgbaston on Thursday, it may well reflect on that training session as the turning point.
As Australia walked into the nets that day the reigning champions appeared untouchable.
The players were refreshed after a few days off and, in New Zealand star Trent Boult’s eyes, they were clearly the team to beat.
But the Aussies left shaken by the thunderbolts from Starc and Pat Cummins that hospitalised Maxwell and Marsh respectively.
And their path to glory now includes knockout wins against England and then either India or New Zealand, with a shorter lead-in to Sunday’s final at Lord’s.
While left-armers Starc and Behrendorff took nine wickets in Australia’s 64-run win against England last month, the host nation has since flicked the switch.
Captain Eoin Morgan’s team has regained destructive opener Jason Roy and pounded fellow semi-finalists India and New Zealand to book the country’s first appearance in the last four since 1992.
In the backdrop was Jonny Bairstow blueing with Michael Vaughan, a sideshow that helped steel a team under mounting pressure.
The drama at Old Trafford was unthinkable. Coach Justin Langer promised “complacency” wouldn’t seep into after his team, which was the first to qualify for the final four.
“There’s no way we’ll ever get complacent. Not with what’s happened the last 12 months,” Langer said.
The week before, Langer said: “One thing you will not have to worry about, from where we have come from over the last 12 months, is the Australian cricket team being complacent.
“Do not lose one second sleep about it.”
But the power-play bowling suggested otherwise. While the Aussies had a six-day break it looked like they had closer to six weeks off as their battle-hardened edge diminished.
Starc (0/26) was given just three overs and Behrendorff (0/16) only two before being replaced as they failed to attack the stumps enough, given the flat pitch’s lack of swing.
Spinner Nathan Lyon was surprisingly called on to bowl the sixth over and he bowled with missile-like accuracy all day.
Lyon removed both openers – a beautiful drifting ball fooled Aiden Markram, who was stumped by Alex Carey, and that defensive control eventually saw Quinton de Kock hit out and get out.
Given Maxwell (0/57 off 10 overs) and Smith (0/5 off one over) were also tidy, you wondered why the Aussies left out leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
It seemed the faster you bowled the further they hit you and South Africa was 0/73 after the power-play, crunching a tournament-record 12 boundaries.
Australia’s start with the bat was just as sloppy.
Warner should’ve been run out for none and then Smith should’ve been run-out for two, but Rabada, again, fluffed a simple chance.
Eventually, the luck ran out as Stoinis (22 off 34) was run-out by a clever backhanded flick by de Kock.
Langer said pre-game Stoinis had to start his innings with more energy and while the under-fire allrounder took 14 balls to get off the mark, he then played four beautiful boundaries.
The raucous celebrations for every wicket showed how much du Plessis’s men enjoyed their sweet encore to the sandpaper scandal that rocked Australian cricket.
And, on the eve of the finals, cracks in this Australian team were wedged open by their rivals.
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
TUESDAY, MANCHESTER
1st India vs 4th New Zealand (Old Trafford)
THURSDAY, BIRMINGHAM
2nd Australia vs 3rd England (Edgbaston)
Originally published as Australia's Cup campaign rocked by 10-run defeat to South Africa as injuries mount
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